Automatic railway-switch



(N0 Model.)

l 0.F.DUVAL. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

No.r 528,867.

Patented Novf 6, 1894.

% 36am/f.

WITNEEEEE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

CHARLES DUVAL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION farming para ofV Lettere Patent No. 523,867, datedNovember e, 1894.

Application filed November 25,1893. Serial No. 491,959. (No model.)

Y automatically operated railway switches, and

may be said to consist broadly in the combination of normallydisconnected switch-operating means adapted to be actuated by the Apassing car and adjustable to turn the switch either way, and electricaldevices controlling the adjustment of said switch-operating means.

The invention is illustrated in theaccom-- panying drawings, of whichFigure l shows a plan view of a switch constructed in accordance 'withmy invention. Fig. 2 shows a vertical section. i Y

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in both thefigures.

In the drawings: the letter a designates the rails of the main track; b,the rails of the switch; and c, the switch-point, which is of ordinaryconstruction'. This switch-point is engaged by an eccentric pin d,projecting from the upper end of a vertical rock-shaft cl', whichextends into a vault cl2 below the track and is supported in ya bearingtherein, an arm cl3 being afxed to the lower end of said rockshaft andhaving a slot, which receives apin e on/a slide e,1itting ways on thebottom of said vault and adapted to be reciprocated therein.

An armature fis pivoted at its middle to suitable supports on the slidee, and electromagnets g are supported in the vaultd2, in position toco-act with opposite ends 'of said armature. These electro-magnets wil-lbe suitably connected through the track-rails with a source ofelectricity, and will be arranged to be controlled by the motor-man bymeans of a switch, so that either of the magnets can be energized atwill.

The armature f is slotted, as at f on opposite sides of its pivot, and apair of weighted levers h, hung in juxtaposition within the vault d2,are provided at their lower ends with armature is brought intoengagement with thel projection h' on the lower end of one of the leversh. A wheel of the passing car depresses ,the push-piece t" and therebyYoperates said lever h, causing its projection h to act against the endof the slot f. and move the slide e,

' and the switch-point c is 'shifted through" its connections with thesaid slide, which have been previously described. While one arm of thearmature is engaged with one of the levers h, the other arm isdisengaged from the other lever h, so that the movement of that otherlever, caused by the depression of the pushpiece t', produces no effecton the slide e.

It is evident that other means might be employed to carry out theinvention, and that the invention is not therefore limited in thisrespect.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-= 1. In a railway switch-apparatus, thecombination of a movable switch-point; a push piece arranged foractuation by a passing car; operating, connections between saidpushpiece and the switch-point with provisions for turning Y said pointin either direction and including an adjustable member whose positiondetermines the direction of movement of the switch-point under impulseof the pushpiece; and electrical devices for establishing two differentpositions of thesaid adjustable member.

2. The combination of a switch-point; a push-piece adapted to beactuated by the passing car; suitable connections between saidpush-piece and the switch-point adjustable to move the latter in eitherdirection, said connections including two separate members roorespectively, and a push-piece adapted to actua'tevsaid levers and to beactuated hy the passing car.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of November, A. D.1893.

CHARLES F. DUVAL.

`both in operative relation with the push-piece and adapted to The movedthereby in opposite directions, and adi'sconnectingmemb'e'r movable toengage either of said members; and electro-magnets controlling saiddisconnecting member, substantially as described.

3. The combnationof a switch-point, a slide operatively connected withsaid switch-point, a pvoted armature on said slide, electro-magnetsadapted to co-act With opposite ends of the armature, levers adapted toengage the said armature when attracted bythe magnets Witnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, A. W. CRossLEY.

